Bit



Aug. 30, 1932.

S. MEGARGEE BIT Filed Aug. 10. 1931 7 W, Mow? r (Ittornegs Patented Au 30, 1932 PATENT OFFICE STANLEIGH MEGARGEE, on NEW YORK, 11. Y.

BIT

Application filed August 10, 1931. Serial No. 556,244.

This inventionrelates to bits for horses,

' and is designed particularly for riding,

In the hitting .and handling of riding horses, it is desirable, and, in fact, necessary, particularly with show' horses being maneuvered in the ring,'and poloponies, which are handled at high speedon the field, that a bit be provided which will give proper and sure control of the horse at all times; to the action of which he will quickly-respond, and yet the bit must be of such construction as to not in- 'jure the mouth even when applied or manipulated with agood deal of force.

As here shown, my invention is disclosed in connection with a combined curb and snaffie bit,which is the typeordinarily used for ridin' In order that the invention may be clear to those skilled in the art, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing one physical embodiment of my invention andv that the best now known to me.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side view of the bit of my invention, so much of the bridle parts as is necessary being disclosed, and the outline of the lower or jaw portion of a horses head is conventionally shown.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the bit.

with a pin 24, off-set from the pivot-p n or Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially on a line passing through pins 13 and 24.

Referring to the drawing by numbers, like numbers indicating like partsin the several views, 10 indicates the bit-bar, which, as shown, is a strip of metal of proper thickness and of very considerable width, so that, as shown in Figure 1, it takes a wide bearing on the gums of the lower jaw its action on the jaw is distributed over a wide area, and, by reason of this width, punishing or injurious pressure against the gums and the jaw bone is avoided. The said bit-bar 10 is provided centrally with a port or curved portion which spans and arches over the tongue of the horse.

The bit 10 is pivotally mounted in the cheekbars 12, as best shown in Figure 3 by means of a pivot pin 13, preferably in the longitudinal axis of the bit-bar 10 and of any suitable formation, so as to connect the cheek-bars 12 and the bit in pivotal'relation. With this construction, it will be seen that since the cheek-bars are rotatable relative to the bit bar, pull upon the cheek-bars 12 will not rotate or displace the bit-bar 10, but it will remain always in the position shown, namely,

flat against the gums of the lower aw of the animal, the movements of the cheek-bars 12 about, the pivot 13 of the bit-bar 10 having no turning effect on the biebar 10'.

The cheek-bars will be provided with the snaflie loops 14 to which the snafiie reins 15 will be attached and function in the usual manner; At their upper ends, the cheekbars 12 will be provided with the loops or rings 16 for the cheek-straps 17 of the headstall, and to the rings 16 will be attached, in the usual manner, the curb-strap or chain 18 which passes under the lower jaw of the ani- .mal from one side to the other.

ends the cheek-bars 12 have the ring-receiving eyes 21, in which aremounted the rings 22, to which the curb-reins 23 are attached. The bit-bar 10 is provided at each end swivel 13 and engaging an arcuate slot 25 formed in the cheek-bars, which pin 24 per- ..niits movement of the cheek-bars 12 Without shown in full lines in Figure 1, with the curbreins relaxed, there will be no pressure exerted by the curbchain orstrap, and the animeal will be handled in the usual way by the snaffle reins, without exerting any control by the curb. In all positions of the bit,

' the bit-bar 10 will 1ie, as shown, fiat upon the gums of the lower jaw. When pressure is exertedon the curb-reins 23, the cheek-' bars 12 will be rotated about the pivot or swivel 13, andv as the curb-chain loops 16 are correspondingly moved, pressure of the curb 1 will' be exerted on the underside of thelower jaw, the pins 24 riding in the slots 25. Even when the pressure is exerted to a maximum,

" it will be seen that the bit-bar 10, with its wide contacting surface, by reason of the play he r tween the cheek-bars 12 and the bit-bar 10 provided forby the pins (24) and slot ([25) connections, willrema n always :in the nor 'mal position shown, there being no action tending to rock or tilt'thebit-bar' 10. The

, curb-"chain 18, however, will be exerting its actionon the underside of the lower jaw to give the-proper' controlof the animal; such curb-chain limiting pin and slot movement in "one direction, and the lip-strap 20 limiting movement in the "other direction;

With this construction, the partsbeing properly adjusted, there is no chance of .turning the bit-bar in the mouth, to cause objectionable lacerations, or, as some times happens with the ordinary curb, fracture of the j aw bone, the restraining efiect of the curb 'be'ing'effected on the underside of the jaw, instead of by'means of the bit-bar in the I 'with lever action, draws the'curb against the underside of the lower jaw, and the width of the bit-bar so distributes pressure, its posi of my invention.

It will be understood that such changes in' I construction from that shown and described as are within the skill of a mechanic may 1 be made withoutdeparting from the range I claim bination of abit-bar having arelatively wide j 1.;In a bitof the class described-, the. comsubstantially flat jaw-engaging undersurface,-

a pivot-pin at each end of-said bit-bar, slotted ofi'set fro ;said pivot pins to eng age the slots in said cheek-bars and permit only lim;

ited relative pivotal movements? of said bit bar and cheek-bar without shifting themouth position "of said bit-bar. J. j 1 g 2. In a bit ofhe class described,- the .com bination of a bit-barhaving a relatively wide substantially fiat j aw-engaging undersurface,

a pivot-pin at each endof said bit bar, cheek- 7 bars mounted on said pivot-pins for pivotal movement and providedat their upper ends with cheek strap connections and at their cheek-bars mounted' on said pivot-pins for. pivotal movement and provided at their upperends with cheek-strap connections and attheir lower ends with curb-rein connections, and a, pin, at each end of said bit-barlower ends with curb-rein connections,"said cheek-bars being provided with snaffle loops positioned r'earwardly of the pivot point'and having slots disposedoppositle to said snaflie loops andfforwardly of said pivot point, and a pin at each endof saidbieb g located adjacent the forwardedge of the same to engage thefslotsin said 'cheek-bar'and permit only limited relative pivotal movements of said bit-bar and cheek-bar withoutshifting the mouthposition of saidbit-bar.

testimony whereof Iaflix my signature.

f ANLEIGH ARG tion remaining unchanged, that danger: of injury to the inside of the jaw is eliminated.

struck from the center of the pivot-pin or swivel 13, 'are provided in order that the bitbar may be maintained alwaysin its fiat position on'the lower jaw and-not be tilted in a perpendicular position; The slots 25' arefso .placedthatthecheek bars 12, swivelling on the pivot pins 13, cannot be thrownor'moved to abnormalpositions in either direction and insures such relation of the parts as to keep 1 The pins 24: and the arcuate slots'25,-'which U i j islots are preferably, and as here shown, I.

thebit always in position for proper control ofthe animal. In other words, the-mouth position of the bit-bar 10 is not changed in the ordinary and usual manipulations ofthe 7 bit. I j I many of the injuries inflicted by bits now on the market when used in hard riding in the show ring orinthe polo or hunting fields.

I From the foregoing it willbe seen that a v, very.eifective'and,'atthe same time, humane bit is provided, and one which eliminates f 

